Cat

Now:

Catherine Juliana Grant, society editor for the Chicago Star, checked her makeup one last time. Then she checked on her five year-old son, Adam, finger combing his strawberry blond hair back in place. He looked so grown-up in his miniature tuxedo, holding on to the pillow with the two wedding bands tied to it.

She clucked at the bride's maids, checking the last minute details, the bouquets, the flowers in the hair, the dresses. As matron of honor, she felt it was her duty to make the whole affair run as smoothly as possible.

Cat knew Penny from Metropolis. The younger woman worked in IT at the Planet. Lana Lang Ross was an old school chum of Clark's and married to the junior senator from Kansas. The other two young women were Esther's school friends and daughters of two General Straker's long-time comrades in arms. She was dressed in pale blue satin, they were in darker shades of blue.

Matron of Honor, she thought to herself. It's been a long journey in two and a half years. Two and a half years ago, Superman returned to action on Earth after an absence of more than five years. Cat was divorced from Adam's father, had moved to Metropolis from Gotham City to start a new life away from the abusive druggie she'd spent four years of her life being terrified of.

Then:

"And who are you, handsome?" Cat purred at the new boy in the bullpen, a tall, dark-haired man with oversize glasses and the brightest blue eyes she'd ever seen. He had a rather boyish face, and despite the layering of his clothes, she could tell he was well-built. There were muscles hiding under that three-piece suit.

"Clark Kent, um...?" He started to hold out a hand to be shaken, then realized that was the hand he had his briefcase in. He switched the briefcase to his left, and looked confused a moment before offering his right hand again.

She took his hand between both of hers. "Cat Grant," she said, emphasizing the T's in her name. His hand was harm and dry, handshake a little tentative, almost as if he were afraid of hurting someone. "And where did you fly in from?"

"Fly? I don't much like planes," he said, eyes wide in bewilderment. He gulped in nervousness as he tried to get past her, to his desk in the newsroom. She moved to stay in front of him, showing just enough cleavage to ensure the interest of any healthy heterosexual male.

"Cat, go sharpen your claws on somebody else," Lois Lane warned from across the room.

Cat raised one perfectly groomed eyebrow in Lois's direction. "Looks like she's staked her claim on you and Richard," she said conversationally to Clark.

"What?" He gave her a blank look, but the expression on his face when he looked over at Lois was anything but blank. Uh, oh, this boy's got it bad for the bitch queen, and that ain't good.

"Never mind, Clarkie boy," Cat said with a grin. "See ya' around."

"Um, nice to meet you, Ms. Grant," Clark managed to stammer out as he finally made it to his desk.

Over the next week, Cat pestered Jimmy Olsen and other 'old timers' about Clark Kent. About the shy man and brilliant writer from Smallville who was assigned to shadow Mad Dog Lane to learn the big city. The man who became the only partner who stayed Lane's partner for more than a month. The man who, after going undercover with her on a story at Niagara Falls, then another one in Alaska, filed the stories then vanished off the face of the Earth without a word for over five years. The man who was, without any doubt, the real father of Lois Lane's son.

Does Richard know?

Over the following few weeks, Cat watched as Lois's patronizing attitude toward Clark became disdain, then thinly veiled animosity. She watched as Clark became more withdrawn, even quieter than when she'd first met him. There were times Cat would have sworn she saw tears brightening his eyes after some uncalled for cutting remark from Lois.

It was after another such incident that Cat decided that something needed to be done.

"Clarkie, what are you doing for lunch?" she asked, leaning over him as he sat at his desk.

"Um, I don't know," Clark replied, more than a little confused.

She knew he usually ate his lunch at his desk, assuming he was in the building, which wasn't all that often. For her it would be breakfast as she'd just come into the office after an all night party celebrating the anniversary of one of the most exclusive clubs in the city. She'd filed her story from home, at four in the morning and was just checking in with her editor and contacts.

"What am I doing for lunch?" he asked.

"How about the Ace O' Clubs?" she asked. "My treat."

"Okay," he said, although he still sounded dubious. He grabbed his coat from its hook and followed her out of the newsroom. But Cat noticed his glance in Lois's direction, and the dark look the other woman gave them both.

"So, what's this about, Cat?" Clark asked. The waiter had brought them coffee and taken their lunch order.

"What's wrong with me taking a co-worker to lunch so I can get to know him better?" Cat asked brightly.

"You have a reputation," he pointed out with a crooked smile.

"Which I work hard to maintain," she replied. "But I promise to keep my hands to myself, not that anybody's going to believe that." She grinned at him. "So, tell me all about yourself."

"Not much to tell," he said. "Raised on a farm in Kansas, did okay in school. Got my degree at Metropolis University, did some traveling, some writing, got a job at the Planet. Left for a while to do some more traveling, came back. Like I said, not much to tell."

He was one of those tough ones to interview. He was an award winning investigative reporter, one of the best in the business according to the old-timers, but he gave little away of himself.

"What about you?" he asked.

"Like you, not much to tell," she said. "Raised in Gotham City, did okay in school, got my degree at Gotham State, worked for the Gotham Herald for a while, got married, had a kid, got divorced, moved to Metropolis, got a job at the Planet."

"You have a kid?" Clark asked. He sounded only a little surprised. He was the first person at the Planet she'd told this secret to. Cat Grant was a mommy.

She nodded. "Name's Adam, he's two and half. He lives with my mother-in-law up in Gotham. It's complicated. And please don't tell anyone at the office."

He smiled. "Your secret's safe with me."

"Now, for the real reason I called together this meeting," Cat said with a laugh. Somehow, she knew Clark would never betray her. "As you know, I do a lot of work after dark."

He nodded, waiting for her to go on.

"I'm looking for somebody who can go with me to some of these functions, the symphony, the show openings. And I'm getting tired of going with the guys who think they can grab some just because I have a 'reputation'. And that includes most of the guys in the office."

"And I'm safe?"

"Clark, if I didn't know you had the hots for Lois, I'd say you were gay," she said laughing. "But you don't do that scene either."

"What about my reputation?" Clark asked. There was a touch of amusement in his eyes. He had beautiful clear blue eyes and she wondered why he didn't go with contacts.

"I won't tell if you won't," she chuckled. "Are you game?"

He considered her offer for a long moment then grinned. "I'm game. Besides, I really do like the opera and I've heard good things about the new art director. This year's season is looking really promising."

"First things first," she said, handing him a business card. "He's one of the best tailors in the city. Get yourself kitted out for eveningwear and charge it to the company. Tell him you're my escort and he'll have you looking like James Bond."